Manufacture of rubber shoes, boots, and the like.



A. SCHULZE. MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES BOOTS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION IPLBD AUG. 26, 1903-. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908. 1 ,032,626.

Patented July 16, 1912 14 SHEETBBHEET l.

rim w i I l nmuu r h l l r MU I l PM l H H l .h H l l lJ H h H h I K W 1 -ma w N. [I hw n R, N A 0 O 0 O 0 M h no N o o 0 O o 0 0 a \M II IN N.\ a, Q 8 Q k .w mnw MN N8 IMINI' lug 40 I, I. o N 4 8 v WWIY N .n. $3M @w m 0.. kw O R m lv yo Q o 0 o o 0 A. SGHULZE. MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATI ON FILED AUG. 26, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908. 1,032,626.

Patented July 16, 1912.

14 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

A. SGHULZE.- MANUFACTURE or RUBBER snons, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED -AUG. 26, 1903. REHEWEDHOV. 13, 1908. 4 1,032,626, I PatentedJuly-lfi, 1912.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

ua Ilium @Qmmm Q I ull! if;

WYIIMJ'JQS: V l'nu'erllbr; @JW

A. SGHULZE.

MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908.

' Patented July 16, 1912.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

A. SGHULZE. MANUFACTURE or RUBBER SHOES, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908.

Patented July 16, 1912.

14 BHEETB' BKEET 6.

A. SGHULZE.

MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES, BO0TS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION ITILED AUG. 26, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908. 1,032,626.

Patented July 16, 1912.. Y

14 8HBETSSHEET 6.

A. SGHULZE.

MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908. 1,032,626.

Patented July 16, 1912.

14 SHEETS- BHEET 7.

I l l l I I l l l I 1 J I 1 I I l I 1 11. SOHULZE. MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE. APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908.

1,032,626. Patented July 16, 1912.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 8.

jade/(Tm? am A. SGHULZE.

MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE. I

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908. 1,032, 2 A Patented July 16, 1912.

14 sums-sum a.

A. SGHULZE.

MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908. 1,032,626.

fizz (712 075 u A. SGHULZE.

MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES; BOOTS, AND THE LIKE.

- APPLIOATION FILED we. 26, 1903. nnnnwnn my. 13, E08. 1,032,626.

Patented July 16, 1912.

14 SHEETS-8HBET 11.

A. SCHULZE. MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908. 1 32,626.

Patented July 16, 1912.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 12.

A. SCHULZE. MANUFACTURE o'P RUBBER SHOES, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 26, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908.

1,039,626. Patented July 16, 1912.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 13.

\ A. SGHULZE. MANUFACTURE OF RUBBER SHOES, BOOTS, AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED we. 2a, 1903. RENEWED NOV. 13, 1908.

1,032,626. Patented July 16, 1912.

14 SHEETS-SHEET 14.

35 carrying a plurality of molds.

; ED STATES PATENT oFrio,

ammnw some, or wssmeron, ms'rmcr or conunau, nssmnoa, BY nmncr um mnsnn assrcmms, "IO'JOHN o. rams, or wasnmcron, ms'rmc-r or COL'Q'MBIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

mmrrac'runn or mum nu snons, noo'rs, AND THE LIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, ANDREW SCHULZE, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, Districtof Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Manufacture of Rubber-Shoes, Boots, and th e Like; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable 7 10 others skilled in the art to which it apper tains to make and use the same.

' The invention contemplates the manufac- Y ture of rubber shoes, boots and the like by machinerynta rate very much faster than has heretofore been possible, and at a greatly;

reduced cost of production.

As heretofore practised, the manufacture of rubber boots and 'shoes has been a slow and expensive operation, requiring careful manipulation and watching by skilled workmen, and involving large expenditures for the maintenance and renewal of the apparatus employed.

According to the present invention, finished articles are turned out at intervals of only a few minutes apart, and as the machine operates automatically and at regular intervals, skilled labor is largely dispensed with. Moreover, the machine being practically indestructible, the expense for maintenance and repairs is insignificant, especially when compared with that required by the old methods for renewing lasts, &c.

The machine comprises a. travelin frame s here shown, this carrier is a rotary one, and four molds are employed. Obviously, however, any sort of an orbitally moving mold-carrying' framemight be substituted, and there 40 might be a The carrier is rotated intermittently so as to cater or less number of molds.

stop the molds, one after another, in position for the workman to remove the finished articles, and put unfinished ones in their places, before the closing of the molds. In the preferred form of the invention here shown, the carrier is rotated by power, and,

' as each mold stops in front of the workman,

it is automatically opened. But the frame might be rotated by hand or foot, and the duty of opemng the molds might alsobe imshoes or the molds, but constitute rather sup-- ports for the shoes, and serve more asa mere means for adjusting or positioning-them in the molds, than as means for shaping the shoes. i

The forms shouldbe made of metal, and,

though a single one 'foreach mold is suflicient to practically operate the machine, it is advisable to' provide a greater number in q Patented July 1 ,1912. Application filed August 26, 1808, Serial No. 170,846. Renewed November 13, 1908;. Serial No. Him

order that the periods of intermission in the rotation of the mold-carrying fraine need not be prolonged. I V

The m'olds consist of three parts,two sides and a top, and their interiors are accurately formed to give the desired shape to the shoes. They are heated, in the manner hereinafter described, in order to vulcanize the rubber, and the inner surfaces should be polished so .as' to give the desired finish to' the shoes. When the forms carrying the unfinished, shoes are properly positioned, and

the molds are closed around them, it is not intended that the rubber shall be pressed inwardly against the forms, or be squeezed be I tween the unyielding metal surfaces of the molds and forms. Instead, air or other elas: ticfluid is introduced into the interior of the shoes under sufiicient tension to press the rubber, and particularly the seams and e es of the shoes, outwardly against the interior walls of the molds, thus providing an elastic compression for all parts of the shoes, and

securing the incidental advantages of uniform vulcanization of the rubber, and the employment of lasts or forms of thin, light, inexpensive construction.

The air is admitted and cut off automati cally at the closing and opening of the molds, and the molds themselves are kept constantlv at the required temperature to effect the rapid vulcanization of the shoes by steam, or other heating medium, that is admitted into the hollow walls of the several parts of the 100 molds.

4 The present embodiment of the invention plate machine; Fig.

the same; 3-3, Fig. 1. nism for givingmittent rotation;

' vation of the mold carrier detached; Figs. 6

and 7 are, respectively, a side view of the carrier, and a central longitudinal section of the same; Fig. 8 is a top plan view of one of the sides of one of the molds; Figs. 9 and 10 are, respectively, side and end views of the same; Figs. 11 and 12 are side and bottom plan views of the top of one mold; Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the latch for locking the molds and holding them closed during the vulcanizing process; shows the same in side view with part of the latch-operating mechanism and the mechanism .for controlling the admission and exhaust of air to and from the interior of the shoes, the latter being in section; Figs. 15 and 16 are face and edge views of the rack bar, by means of which the sides of the molds are caused to open laterally when the tops are lifted; Figs. 17 and 18 are, respectively, an end view and a longitudinal secvtion of one of the conduits, which admits steam into the folding sides of the molds; Fig. 19 isa central lon itudinal section of one of the molds, showing also the spring and pneumatic cylinder and piston for operating the tops of the molds; Fig. 20 is a cross section of the mold when closed, showing also a last and shoe in position; Fig. 21 is a perspective of a shield employed as an adjunct to the machine to prevent the formation of fins or ribs on the shoes; Fig. 22 is a detached perspective of the union or coupling around which the mold sides fit, and which forms a support for the last; and Fig. 23 is -a separate View in perspective of the last, the object being more particularly to show the means for admitting the air between the exterior of the last and the inside of the shoe.

Referring to these views, a denotes the base of the machine, which, as here shown, is rec tangular, but may be of any convenient form, height and construction. At opposite ends of this frame, standards I) are erected, and in bearings d at the upper end of these standards, the mold carrier 6 is journaled. The construction of this'carrier will be best understood from Figs. 5, 6 and 7. It has a cylindrical body provided at its rear end with four pairs of outwardly projecting arms f at diametrically opposite. points. lhese arms constitute the supports for and carry the bearings of the tops of the molds, as will be more fully described later on, and at its ends the carrier body has journals g, h,

walls of the molds,

Fig. 14:-

' heating and operating tates to the point by meansof which it is rotatably mounted in the bearings on the standards, already described. The body of the carrier is hollow and formed into chambers i, j, the former of which receives steam from the source of supply, and distributes it to the hollow and into the other of which the steam passes after having traversed the interior of the mold walls, the journal h of the carrier being tubular and communicating with the chamber j, as shown in Fig. 7 soas to carry off the ex haust steam. The carrier body has also formed lengthwise in it, at points corresponding to the position of the molds, four pneumatic cylinders 7c, forming part of the mechanism for opening and closing the molds.

I will now describe the means for rotating the mold carrier, and afterward will explain the construction, mounting and manner of the molds themselves.

4 It has already been stated that the carrier I is revolved with a step by step or intermittent motion, so as to cause it to pause as each mold comes opposite the position of the operator. As here shown, it stops'four times in each revolution, there being four molds. But there might be any number of molds, and the carrier operatin mechanism would be correspondingly .mo ified so as to stop each mold before the operators stand long enough for him to open it and remove the completed shoe, and put in a new one to be vulcanized.

The power to rotate the mold carrier is taken from a shaft Z, running across the base of the machine at its rear end. This shaft carries a pinion m, which meshes with a bevel wheel n on one end of a short shaft 0, journaled in bracket bearings p at one side of the base, at the rear. Near the other end, the shaft 0 carries a spur pinion g, which meshes with a gear 1' on the rear end of another short shaft 8, having one bearing in a bracket on the base, and another in the rear standard.

The bevel wheel at is preferably loose on its shaft and adapted to be connected to and disconnected therefrom by any sort of a clutch that may be controlled by a rod 75, sliding in brackets to, and having at its rear end, near the operators stand, a hand lever 41, and at its other end an arm w that en gages the clutch. v

The mold carrier is driven from the wheel 1' and as it has the intermittent motion already explained, the wheel also has a corresponding intermittent rotation. lhis is effected by cutting'away the teeth of the gear 1' for nearly one quarter of its periphery, as shown at 00 in'Fig. 4c, and forming a single large tooth y on the pinion, in addition to the ordinary where the pinion reaches teeth. When the gear 1" rothis blank portion, the pinion continuing to rotate produces 'no motlon of the gear, except such ver slow rotation, for a short period, as is o tained from the engagement of the single tooth y with certain notches a, formed in the wheel 1' where its gear teeth are cut away.

The wheel 1- is connected by a pitman a and wrist-pin a to an arm a*, which oscillates freely on the shaft h of the mold carrier, adjacent to a disk a that is tilted on the carrier shaft and is provided with peripheral notches a corresponding in number and position with the molds. The arm a carries a pawl of, which is constantly pressed by a spring a to engage the notches of the disk, andas the gear 1' makes a complete rotation from the position indicated in Fig. 4, it swings the arm a" up and down, thereby producing a quarter revolution of the disk and rotating the carrier so as to bring a new mold to the position of theoperators stand.

During the time when the cut-away portion of the gear 1' is passing the pinion q, and during that part of the rotation of the gear which raises the pawl-carrying arm to take into anew notch in the disk at, the

mold carrier is stationary, and it is desirable that it should be locked in fixed position, for at this time the operator is engaged in removing a completed shoe and adjusting a new one in the mold. To form this look, I pivot on' a stud a", projecting from the rear standard I), a bell crank b having a dog at its outer end to engage the notches of the disk. A spring engages the other end I) of the bell crank and normally presses the dog into the notches, and in order to automatically release the lock, the end I) of the bell crank is connected to the pitman a by a rod b passing loosely through the end of the crank and havmg a stirrup b at one end, through which the pitman is free to slide. The spring Z) encircles the rod 6 and reacts between the bell crank and the pitman through the intermediacy of the stirrup, and holds the dog 12 into one of the notches of the disk until the pawl-earryingarm a is about to move-downward to rotate the disk. At this time, the lateralmovement of the pitman, caused .by the wrist pincrossing the dead center, pulls on the rod 5 and releases the dog. It is also desirable that the pawl should be of the positive locking kind, and

in order to release it just before its carrying arm starts upward to engage a new notch, I provide the bell crank I) with an arm b projecting in the opposite direction and having its outer. end standing normally 1n the path of the pawl 41*", as shown in- Fig. 4. \Vhen the pitman moves to the left, (looking at Fig. 4), it operates the bell crank so as to cause the dog If to engage will thus be seen that the movements of the mold carrier are derived directly from and controlled by the wheel 7', andas this wheel, as already explained, is intermittently driven from a constantly rotating pinion, it is desirable to provide a brake to prevent its momentum from carrying it too far, cs-

peciallyat the time when the single tooth e of the pinion g is operating on it. This is conveniently formed by a spring 6 secured to the machine base and having its free end bent as shownin Fig. 4, and engaging notches c in the rim of the wheel.

The mold carrier is stationary from the time the wrist pin a reaches the position shown in Fig. 4, until the wheel 1' makes half a revolution. The wheel itself, however, is simply slowed downat this time, while the oscillating pawl-carrying arm is being returned to operative position, and

this slow motion is provided by the single tooth y of the pinion 1;,and the notches a. of the gear.

into the upper quadrant described by thewrist pin, at which time the pawl a is almost ready to engage a new notch. About the time this engagement takes place the gear 1' resumes its normal rate, and the pawlcarrying arm is swung downward much faster and at the same speed as the rotating carrier.

The molds for shaping and vuleanizing the shoes are formed in sect-ions and are opened and closed automatically. shown, they are made in three parts, viz., a top 0 and two sides 0 each formed in the shape of a rectangular box with hollow interiors forming steam heating chambers. The top 0 of each mold is pivoted by trunnions c in bearings c in the arms f, project ing radially from the rear end of the mold carrier. The sides 0 are provided with arms v0 at each end, by means of which they are pivoted to the ends of the mold carrier at points indicated at a in Fig. Mounted in this manner, the molds open and close by the three parts above described, folding toward and away from each other, the top swinging up and down in a vertical plane lengthwise the carrier axis on its cross bearings 0", and the sides swingingin and out in a transverse plane on its pivots at the ends of the carrier body, so that, when the three parts come together, they form a complete inclosure for one shoe. 'It is to be understood, of course, that each part 0 0 of the molds has an interior formation, or

As here mold proper, that is shaped to conform to theexterior surface of the shoes, each side for example, carrying a mold 0 and the top'carrying a plate-like mold 0, which is shaped to conform to the sole of the-shoe.

Steam or other medium to heat the molds to vulcanizing temperature, is taken from any suitable supply into the chamber '5 of the mold carrier through the pipes cl, d, the latter passing through the hollow trunnion k of the carrier body. From this chamber it passses into the tops of the molds through ducts (i into one of the trunnions c". Thence it passes through the channel (1 into the hollow interior of the top on one side of the division plate d whence it goes around the forward end of the plate, back through the other. half of the cover and the duct d out through the other trunnion 0 It is conducted thence to the chamber 9' of the mold carrier, through the passage 03, and escapes through the hollow trunnion h ofthe carrier into the pipes (l to the atmosphere. An ordinary steam trap (i is'preferably included in the piping d, d, to trap the condensedsteam, and in order to con,-

' nect the trunnions c of the mold tops with the ducts d d, outside tubular connections d, d are employed, substantially like those shown in Figs. 17 and 18. These connect-ions are fitted into circular recesses d in the trunnions, and their opposite ends are connected by steam tight joints with circular .bosses d in the arms f, into which bosses the ducts (Z (i open. In this way, provision is made for a constant circulation of steam through the mold tops without interfering with their rising and falling movements, or the rotation of the mold carrier. Steam to heat the mold sides is also taken from the chamber 2' in the carrier body through hollow connections 6, Figs. 17 and 18. Unions e are tapped into the holes 0 in the front wall of the carrier body, and the connections are united to these unions by glands e and pipes 6 in such a way that the connections e may swing with the sides of the molds as they open and close. The unions e also form trunnions which pass through the bearings in the arms 0 of the sides, so that the mold sides are journaled or pivoted on these unions, and the pipes a and the connections-e turn in the unions with the swinging movements of the arms 0, the upper ends of the connect-ions being secured to hollow bosses e, on the arms, some little distance above their pivots,

' into which bosses the ducts 6 open that conduct the steam into and out of the hollow interiors of the sides. At their outer ends, where they connect with the bosses e, the connections are provided with adjustable valves 6 to control the passage of steam, and it will, of course, be understood that the steam after passing into the mold sides,- circulates through them and passes out at the .other end through similar connections and unions at the rear end of the carrier body, into the same chamber j which receives the steam from the mold tops.

As before stated, the tops of the molds are pivoted at the rear end of the carrier body the operator in opening, and the sides swing laterally on their pivots 6 so as to fold sidewise. The simultaneous action of these sides and top, so as to open and close the molds, is effected by the following means: f is a pipe taking compressed air from any suitable source, and delivering it through passages f and pipes f into the cylinders is already described, formed on. the inside 0 the carrier body parallel with the axis thereof. The tops of the moldsare provided with rearwardly extending arms f and in each of the cylinders 70 there works a piston f", which is connected to the arm f by a rod f, so that, as the piston works to and fro by the admission and exhaust of air into and from the cylinder, the top of the mold is raised and lowered. Compressed'air is admitted to and released from each cylinder by a valve f working in a chamber f which communicates with the cylinder through a passage 9'. During one complete rotation of the carrier. the air pressure is on in the cylinder and the molds are held closed, the

latch 71 which is pivoted at n to the front edge of the top and catches at its other end under a shoulder a on the mold carrier, as shown in Fig. 19, a spring Won the mold top holding the latch normally in position to automatically lock the top down as soon as it is closed.

The sides of each mold are operated with the rising and falling of the top through the intermediacy of a rack Z which fits against the rear end of the mold carrier and slides between lugs f. On their rear faces the slides are provided with gear teeth Z which mesh with the corresponding teeth Z on the hubs of the trunnions c of the mold tops, so that as the tops are raised and lowered, the racks Z are also raised and lowered. On their side edges the racks are provided with other teeth Z andthese mesh with teeth Z formed on the hubs of the rear arms 6 of the sides of the molds. From this arrangement and connection between the sides and top of-the molds, it results that whenever the top of a mold is unlocked and lifted, the two sides are positively operated and swung outwardly, so that the whole interior of the mold is opened up to permit the operator to remove the completed shoe and put an unfinished one in its place.

'As before described, each mold is closed by the air pressure in the cylinder It: driving the piston f" rearward, and as the weight and momentum of the parts is considerable, I employ bufl'er springs Z Z located at opposite ends of the rack. The spring I is stronger than the spring Z and is coiled around a pin m having a limited movement in the rack, and the spring Z is coiled around a similar pin l.

the mold sections and prevent them from slamming and jarring the machine. The spring 1 also assists the main spring 9 in opening the mold top, and after it has expanded to practically its limit, the other spring serves to start the rack upward, so that its teeth will engage those on the hub of the arm 0 it being understood that these teeth pass out of gear when the mold closes, in order to permit the sides to close before the top and to have the top open before the sides. This movement of the sides and top is necessary in order to effect the locking of the mold parts together, as the sides must be fully closed before the keepers n on the mold top can come down over the pins 0 on the sides.

The latch n is secured in its locked position by a sliding detent n, which is mounted on the late]; as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, and is operated by a spring a so that its lower end a automatically catches behind a plate 0', by means of which the valve chamber is secured to the mold carrier and the upper edge of which forms a locking.

shoulder for the detent.

The detent is unlocked when the mold reaches the vertical position shown in Fig. 2 by the following means: The shaft 8, of the carrier operating wheel 1*, is connected by gears 2' 5 to a shaft 1', extending forward to a point just inside of the front standard 6. At this end the shaft carries a disk 5* having an eccentric pin or roller i and there is pivoted to a stud i in the machine base, a lever a", one end of which lever extends under a rod i sliding vertically in keepers on the rear side of the standard. The lever stands in the path of the roller 2' on the disk, and the upper end of the rod i surrounds the carrier shaft and has a cam Z on it, which stands in the path described by the block n. As before explained, the

'wheel 1* makes one'complete revolution for every one-fourth of a revolution of the mold carrier, and of course the shaft 2" makes one revolution during the same time. This actuates the lever 11 and sliding cam rod 27* four times during every revolution of the mold carrier, viz., once for each mold, and the periods are so timed by the gearing already described, that the cam Z is actuated im- These springs, especially the lower one, cushlon the blow of.

the valve chamber,

mediately after the arrival'of each mold at the vertical position shown in Fig. 2. The actuation of this cam raises the block n which is mounted to slide up and down on a guide pin 0'-. This block stands in .position to be struck by the cam l, and has Secured to ita plate 0 which slides between the keeper plate 0' and the valve casing. The block is also guided by the pipe 7 which passes through a perforation The upper edge of the plate 0 is beveled outwardly and downwardly and the lower edge of the detent n is beveled upwardly and inwardly, and when the block is lifted t strikes the detent and releases it from and the beveled surfaces coming together, throw the latch n outwardly so as to release its lower end from under the shoulder a. The cam Z also actuates the valve 7", and for this purpose the inner end of the block a extends under the end of and supports the valve, so that the upward movement of the block operates the valve to exhaust the air pressure in the cylinder is immediately before it unlocks the detent n to release the mold top. The escape of the air from the cylinder then permits the spring to open the top, as already explained. The valve chamber communicates freely with the pipe f through passage 0 ,-and the valve stem has a central piston 0 which divides the chamber into two parts, in the lower of which is the portleading to the cylinder is, and in the upper of which is the port 0 leading to the interior of the mold. \Vhen the valve is raised by the cam l and block a, the port 9 is thrown into communication with the atmosphere through the open lower end of the valve casing, and the air in the cylinders exhausts freely, but when the block falls, the air pressure at the other and closed end of the casing forces down the valve, closing the lower end and admitting air into the cylinder. The air to expand the shoe in the mold is also admitted through and its admission and exhaust are controlled by the same valve. To this end the carrier body is provided with a passage 3), one for each mold, communicating by a port 0 with the upper chamber in the valve casing. This chamber is closed above the portand open to the atmosphere below the port through the passage f, and the raising of the valve f establishes communication between the ports 0" and f and permits the air in the shoe to exhaust freely to the atmosphere. This occurs immediately before the air has been exhausted from the cylinder, and the lowering of the valve and opens the port closes the exhaust port (1 through the pas- 0 leading to the mo sage p.

The last 1' is shown detached in Fig. 23, and in position in the. mold in Fig. 19. It is of metal and is imperforate and preferably made hollowfor lightness, but. may be solid if desired. It is supported in an inverted position in the mold, and a short pipe w having a piston T3, whichworks in a cylindrical chamber 1' in the outer wall of the mold carrier, projects upward into the last and forms a peg on which it is adjusted and by which it is supported when the mold is open. The chamber communicateswith the passage p below the piston, and over the chamber and forming practically the top thereof, is set a union 7*, through the top of which the pipe works air-tight. The cham her is open to the atmosphere above the piston, and the upper edge of the union fits accurately around the edge of the mold opening when the two sides are closed.

The shoe is made up on the last in the usual manner, and the last is then adjusted in position over the upper end of the pipe, which has a shoulder 1' Air being admitted by the valve 7" into the chamber 1' through passage p, moves the pipe upward and the shoulder r strikes the last and forces it up with its sole against the correspondingly shaped mold top, thereby pressing the sole of the shoe with an elastic pressure against the inner surface of the top, instead of squeezing it between surfaces to which there is no yield.

The upper edge of the union 7 is formed with a fiange 1", which is extended laterally to slightly overlap the ankle margin of the shoe. The shape of this flange varies with the style andshape of the shoe, the shape shown herein being adapted to whatis known as a storm shoe, where the opening is shaped as shown by the dotted line in Fig. 19. Preferably, the upper surface of the flange has one or more grooves 1' around its edge, into which the margin of the shoe is pressed so as to form a head on it to straighten that part of the shoe.

The last being imperforate, the air entering it has no effect to press the shoe outward against the inner walls of the mold. For this purpose air is introduced between the outer surface of the last and the inner surface of the shoe, and openings 1* are provided in the sides of the pipe 1* near its upper end, through which air passing up the pipe finds its way into the shoe and presses the neck or ankle margin down against the flange of the union, and across the joint between the union and the mold opening, so as to tightly close the latter and press the rubber into the groove 1' The air also, being under considerable pressure, finds its way all around the last except the sole, and presses all parts of the shoe'upper against the interior walls of the mold.

.It is desirable to provide means to'prevent wrinkling of the ankle margin of the shoe, and to insure that it lies down flat on the flange of the union and over the joint between the edge of this flange and the mold open1ng. For this purpose I employ a cap 8, that is secured to the last andis shaped to conform to the joint between the union flange 1' and the edge of the opening in the mold, through which the pipe projects and whose edge makes as close a fit as possible with the edge of the flange. The cap overlaps this joint as shown in Fig. 19, and when the last is inverted and adjusted over the end of the pipe, it "presses the margin of the shoe down so as to flatten it out and prevent the formation of crimps or wrinkles.

The cap is secured to the last loosely so as to be movable thereon. As here shown, it is fastened by a screw .9 of sufiicient length to permit the cap to fall away from the last, when the the latter is inverted, just enough to open a space 8 between its upper surface and thelast, for the free admlssion of air from the pipe 1* between the last and the shoe, and also to press the shoe margin down with its own weight independently of the last or the air pressure. The formation of this opening is preliminary to the admission of air into the pipe, and opens up communication between the openings 1' and the in- 7 side of the shoe through the space shown in Fig. 19, between the ankle end of the last and the upper side of the cap. It constitutes a preliminary and momentary expedient for the purpose above described. As soon as the air pressure is turned on, the rise of the piston 7' and pipe 7' causes .the shoulder r to strike the cap 8' and press the last upwith its sole against the plate of the mold top. The cap then falls away from the last of its own weight, and thus opens the space 8 and permits the air to pass between the cap and the last and enter the shoe on the outside of the last, thereby ex-- panding it against the inner walls of the mold the edge where the sole oins the upper.-

Such fins detract from the appearance of the finished article, and, as it'is one object of the invention to turn out shoes ready for sale and requiring no finishing process, I provide a shield t, of aluminum, or; some other light material. This is shown separately in Fig. 21. It is shaped to inclose the shoe afterit has been made up on the last, and it completely covers the rubber at every point where there is a joint between the mold sections, except down the heel of the shoe, as at F, Where the presence of the fin would not be objectionable, or even noticed. In Fig. 20, the shield at is shown enveloping 

